Taiwan, an island dotted with scenic mountains and lakes, is facing its worst drought in decades. Not a single typhoon (the heavy rains replenish the reservoirs) made landfall in Taiwan last year. The lack of rain this year is exacerbating the situation even further. The use of water to eliminate contamination of semiconductor chips during the manufacturing process has been intensive, and water shortage is posing a huge challenge to the industry.
So, what has ASE done to mitigate the water crisis? Since 2015, ASE has built and operated its own Water Recycling Facility in Kaohsiung to process and recycle water to its own plants within the Nanzih Park, further reducing our dependence on tap water. The reduction in the use of tap water by ASE has enabled the city of Kaohsiung to deploy the water reserves for household, agriculture and other consumption. To learn more about ASE’s water recycling, please visit the page on water recycling.
Today, only one-third of the water used in the Kaohsiung facilities is tap water, while two-thirds of it is recycled water. In May, our total accumulated water savings from the recycling facility has surpassed 20 million tons. While we are proud of this achievement, we will not rest on our laurels. The ASE management team has lifted the goalpost higher and established new water management KPIs for the company. We have drawn up plans to reduce our water usage, and increase investments to expand the water recycling facility so as to increase our ability to process, recycle and reuse as much water as possible. ASE strategy remains focused on balancing the demand and available resources.
As a major industry player and one of the key contributors to Taiwan’s economy, we have stepped up and assumed greater responsibility on sustainability issues. We will embrace the latest technologies to create innovative educational programs that are aimed to improve engagement and raise awareness in water conservation to a wider and more diverse group of audiences. Recently, we have equipped the ASE Green Technology Education Center with VR capabilities that tap on a fast and high bandwidth 5G network. The VR showcase will enhance visitor experience and transform sustainability education in the digital age. To that end, the ASE Green Technology Education Center will continue to perform an important role in promoting public awareness on water and other sustainability issues.
The survival of society, the environment and the economy depend heavily on water security and sustainability. Each drop of water is precious and we must all do our part to protect earth’s limited resources, and ensure a bright future for generations to come.
About the ASE Water Recycling Facility
The ASE Water Recycling Facility (also known as ASE K14) was established in January 2015 and is located at the Nanzih Technology Industrial Park, Kaohsiung. Phase 1 operations began in 2015 with a daily processing volume capacity of 20,000 tons and a recycling rate of 55%. When Phase 2 operations began in 2019, the recycling facility was able to receive and process wastewater from ASE’s manufacturing plants in NTIP Zone 2 in addition to those located in Zone 1. Its recycling rate was further improved to 70% and in May 2021, the company has surpassed 20 million tons of accumulated water savings, equivalent to the total water consumption of Kaohsiung residents in a month. By maximizing its own water resources, ASE was able to recycle every drop of water at least 3 times.
